The 11th annual National Strip-Tillage Conference will be held in Madison, Wis., at the Marriott Madison West Hotel & Conference Center Aug. 8-9, 2024. The focused 2-day program covers a myriad of topics for profitable results in strip-till farming, including precision technology pay-offs, equipment setup tips, cover crops, soil testing and fertility strategies, economic analyses, soil biology and more.

After a 44-year run as co-owner and president of Case IH dealer Johnson Tractor in Wisconsin and Illinois, Leo Johnson retired to pursue his lifelong dream of farming with his wife Sue. Although he has an extensive knowledge of equipment, Johnson was a novice at almost everything else when he started farming 1,000 acres of corn and soybeans in southern Wisconsin.

Armed with good suppliers, neighbors and intentions, Johnson began strip-tilling in 2023. In this basic "Strip-Till 101" course, "What I Learned from My First Year Strip-Tilling," he shares a first-hand account of what year 1 in a strip-till operation looks like, and shares the potential landmines he faced. Johnson discusses his decision-making in picking the right strip-till rig for his soils, his first experience in making strips, how to prepare a good seedbed and apply nutrients where they'll give you the most bang for your buck.

You'll Learn: Critical steps to take when switching to strip-till, what to consider when shopping for a strip-till rig, first-year planting challenges and more.

Unique from other ag conferences, the National Strip-Tillage Conference agenda features a mix of general sessions, classrooms, farmer-to-farmer roundtable discussions and face time with suppliers — all designed for maximum networking and the practical transfer of experience and knowledge. The 2024 program lineup includes:

  • 6 General Sessions — covering an abundance of proven strip-tilling ideas and strategies. You’ll learn from industry-leading strip-tillers, such as David Hula, who achieved his fifth world-record breaking corn yield of 623 bushels per acre and original Strip-Till Innovator of the Year David Legvold back for an eleventh anniversary lecture on lessons learned from 20 years of strip-till research. Joining them are 2024 Strip-Till Innovator Award recipient Chris Perkins and No-Till Legend Marion Calmer.

  • 14 Roundtable Discussions — informal, moderated peer-to-peer discussions on specific strip-till topics. Attendees should come with 5 questions to get answered in this proven format for sharing what works and what doesn’t.

  • 14 Classrooms — in-depth presentation-style sessions convey practical, actionable ideas from experienced strip-tillers on the most pressing needs.

  • Pre-Conference Screening of “From the Heartland” — a documentary exploring rural America’s reliance on the success of its farming towns and how chasing the forward movement of the agricultural industry prompts one family farm to discard traditional practices and try something new. This limited seating reception is an add-on to your NSTC registration and offers networking opportunities, a reception meal and panel discussion with cast members Jodi DeJong-Hughes — a University of Minnesota Extension educator — and farmer Shawn Feikema.

Download the full conference agenda and register here! 

Title sponsors making the learning and networking opportunities possible for strip-tillers include Vulcan Equipment, Soil Warrior, Kuhn, MonTag, Schlagel, Dawn, ESN, Yetter, Ostara, Ag Leader, Unverferth, RhizoSorb, AgSynergy and ZML. All companies will exhibit during the 4-day educational event.

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